It's Called High School For A Reason
by Mrs. Finn Hudson
Summary: "So what will happen to us? Do you just want to go back to normal? You being the jock everyone loves and me be the talented girl everyone hates?" It takes just two weeks for Rachel Berry's life to change, question is...for the better or worse? Two weeks.


**Hey gleeks, I'm back :D did anyone miss me? *silence***

**Ok…**

**So I would first off like to say sorry for the x amount of months I've been away, but hey I'm back :)**** Also I'm concentrating on just one fic at a time, sadly I had to discontinue one of my fics :/ but I've learnt the error of my ways and I'm starting this new fic! Don't worry though, I am going to put the epilogue of JCGE on before I UD this story I just had this story plot in my head (and on my phone) for a while and I just wanted to see if it would be ok to post as a new story. Also I am deleting my Hunted fic but I will post it back some time in the furture, most likely when I've finished this fic if it does well :)**

**Also the fic start with heavy Puckelberry for all those who were confused, just sayin'...**

**So without further adieu…**

* * *

><p>"So ten?"<p>

"Yep. Oh and make sure you actually bring booze this time. Not like two weeks ago when you drank it all before we could have any of the sweet honey." Azimio complained as he and Puck strolled out of Dairy Queen.

"Hey I was thirsty and that wasn't entirely my fault."

"Whatever." Azimio dismissed as he shook his head. We better hurry else Karofsky and Hudson are gonna drive off without us."

"Yeah and Finn will call shot gun." Puck added as the two stared at the other jocks that were in front of them, standing by the back of Dave's jeep.

"God what is up with that douche?"

"Who Karofsky?"

"No, Hudson. He's a fucking quarterback yet he insists on dating Quinn! It's just unnatural, y'know?"

"Well she is head cheerleader, that's gotta count for something." Puck reminded him as the two grew nearer the vehicle.

"Yeah I guess but he's supposed to be like the popular guy of the school. Yet instead he's actually in a lesbian relationship with Quinn. He could be such a stud if he took lessons from you and Santana and was casual with her but no, the dude wants to join the celibacy club and grow a vagina."

"Well as much as I love your concern for Finn, I'm sure he's happy that way. There maybe potential in him to be the most popular jock but hey, he's still a ladies man. Just in the sensitive department."

"Oh God, just promise me you'll never turn out like him and date someone because that's the last thing I need. Two gays on the team." Azimio rolled his eyes as the two approached the jeep.

"Oh finally!" Dave started as he noticed the two, turning away from Finn, Karofsky dug into his pockets to grab his keys. "By the rate you guys were going, I would've thought that old woman took you home."

"Hey what can I say?" Puck raised his hands in the air as a smug grin appeared on his face. "I have a very lustrous face, that even grannies can't resist. It's not my fault it's just how I was born. But I have to admit, she was definitely a GILF."

"A GILF?" Dave repeated in confusion.

"Granny I'd like to fu-"

"O...k, before Puck goes on about how he's pretty much screwed, humped and God knows what else with GILF's oh and how God himself gave him sexy looks to do his bidding in getting with every woman on the planet, I think we need to get a drink. And quick." Finn suggested which Azimio and Dave agreed to while Puck looked somewhat offended. "Shotgun!"

"Damnit Hudson!" Azimio muttered under his breath before turning towards Puck and narrowing his eyes at him. "This is all your fault."

"How is it mine? You're the one who wanted to stop and chat!"

"Whatever." Azimio climbed into the back of the jeep, with Puck following.

"And hey, the great Lord upstairs really did give me supernatural powers that allowed me to seduce women. Even for God it's hard to please all women so I was created to spread the Jewish love around. I can't be blamed for fulfilling my destiny can I? He just wants me to h..."

"Drive. Fast." Finn told Dave who nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>"Now we trust you Rachel. Remember in case of an emergency, grab your cell and climb out of your window to the extension and then jump down-"<p>

"Into the next door neighbors garden where you then run into their house and call 911." Rachel recited as she rolled her eyes. "I've got it."

"Good." Leroy grinned as he entered her room and sat beside her on her bed. "So there are to be no house parties, the liquor cabinet should still intact and if you do have people round, make sure they stay out of the study."

"Daddy like I'm going to have anyone here when the house is full of cardboard boxes, we've packed everything. It's all empty. I'm surprised you haven't packed the liquor cabinet actually. Or are you saving that for later, once you've come back to carry on the celebration?"

"May...be...you never mind. Just stay safe ok?" He ruffled her hair before kissing the top of her head and making his way back down the stairs.

"Yes daddy. I know. Now you go and enjoy yourself. It's your anniversary after all. Just not too late because we're moving in the morning, ok?" Rachel called.

Both of her fathers chorused "Yes" in a low tone before closing the door. Rachel leapt from her bed as she heard the front door shut, towards her achievement cabinet. After seeing Kurt's neatly stacked awards yesterday, Rachel decided that she needed to sort hers out and what better time when she was alone so she can do nothing but concentrate on the task at hand.

Fun.

Delicately removing the several trophies and certificates from the shelves and wrapping them one by one in bubble wrap, Rachel decided that when she returned in two weeks, they were to be arrange in size order as opposed to the month just gone when they were ordered by date of receiving them. The brunette calmly surrounded one of her trophies in bubble wrap when she heard muffled yet still very loud music emanating from the houses behind her. Placing the dance trophy she had in her hand in the cardboard box labeled 'Rachel's Awards', the brunette made her way towards the window that faced the houses behind hers. She didn't need to do this though. She already knew which house it was coming from before she saw. She didn't need confirmation. Reaching the window, Rachel looked out to see the same house lit up like the fourth of July against the night sky with people streaming in and staggering out.

Without another word, Rachel spun on her heels in irritation as she returned to packing her awards. "Damn Azimio."

The diva tried to ignore the music that was blaring out of the jocks house but she couldn't. It was like the music was increasing in volume trying to annoy her. Trying to make her break.

It worked.

The brunette let out a grunt as she gave up with competing against the anything but melodious sound. She snapped. Rachel hurried down her stairs and grabbed her black coat, her rape whistle, house keys and some black pumps as she stormed out of the house. She needed some time away from the party music. Only when Rachel reached the corner of her street did she realize she was still in her pajamas. Her baby pink night wear with deep pink hearts all over it.

"Oh shoot."

Rachel tried her best to cover her clothes by buttoning her coat but it cut off by her knees, at least most of her pajamas were covered. Fortunately for the brunette, it was nearing the end of August meaning it was somewhat warm so she rolled up her trousers, exposing her legs to the outside. Thankfully she waxed her legs that morning, though it was pitch black with only street lamps illuminating the pavement below her so a few hairs wouldn't show.

After making her appearance socially acceptable, Rachel continued to walk, to what destination she didn't know. All she did was follow the concrete and allow it to take her where it wanted. Only when the loud dance music was growing louder instead of being faint, like she had hoped, did the brunette realize just where the pavement below her was taking her.

Azimio's house.

The diva froze at the sight of the house. All lights on and shining. Several cars pulled up next to it and others further down the street. The reason why no one would report or complain about the noise is because Azimio's father was a well respected member of the community who...pretty much had dirt on every adult near their house. They had nothing on Rachel's fathers, they were squeaky clean, but the party always started after they left for their anniversary and don't come back until three in the morning, sometimes they don't return till the next day, so they were never around when the music started. Plus Rachel was never going to report Azimio because he would have found out it was her and, through anger and annoyance, plan something worse than just a slushie thrown in her face and she really didn't want to know what was worse than a slushie facial. She really didn't. It must have been eleven at night and yet people were just starting to turn up when Rachel, through years of experience, knows Azimio starts his party at ten.

Tardiness is a sign of disrespect after all.

Spinning on her heels, Rachel decided that she should probably leave before being sighted by a guest, or Azimio himself. Rumors of her gate crashing would be spread and that result in Rachel's social death. Not that she even had a social life to begin with. Only when she heard someone behind her yell "HEY!", did Rachel realize she was busted. She was the new Emily Thacker.

Emily was a student at McKinley high school several years ago. Just like Rachel, she was an outcast. Someone who was definitely not invisible but for all the wrong reasons. Emily was spotted near by a party which only the popular attended and when she returned for her second year of school, well...that's where its gets hazy. Some say she was murdered behind the bushes at the back of the school field, that's why people aren't allowed there. Others claim she moved to England where she started a new life under the new name of Rebecca Hurling, of course these were high school rumors and nothing more. Plus Rachel was sure Emily was the deli girl down the road.

Sucking air through her teeth, the brunette turned around to expect to face her death. But when the tall black figure staggered into a pool of light the street lamp had created, her breath seemed to hitch ever so slightly.

"Hey...I...I erm...I know you right?" Puck asked as he pointed at the diva in front of him. He would've called her name...if he knew what it was.

Rachel sighed. She didn't care about the fact she was spotted by a jock. It was the fact she was spotted by none other than Noah Puckerman! Even if he was drunk.

"Erm...yes, yes you do." Rachel replied as she tried to cover her blushing cheeks with her hair.

Every time she thought about Noah Puckerman, she would bite her lip and this was no exception. She had a crush on him. Big time. It was something about his bad boy persona. Something grabbed her attention in kindergarten and never let her go. Seeing him push lego blocks after lego blocks down Freddy Johnson's pants while he slept was funny, she had to admit. It was completely mean, Rachel knew that, but even the holy Barbra Streisand herself couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped her mouth that day. Of course there was something else that Rachel would never forget about that day and that was when he heard her laugh. He turned around and smiled at her.

Noah Puckerman smiled at her!

So it was in kindergarten. That still counted.

Ever since then, Rachel couldn't help but think about him. Her feelings grew through elementary school, grew even faster in middle school, and you pretty much guessed it, they grew in high school. Ok so maybe grew isn't the best word to describe how her feelings for a certain Noah Puckerman developed. More like expanded. Her feelings for Noah Puckerman developed from a small fling to a full blown out crush. They expanded with each year that passed. Expanding more and more. Like an elastic band being pulled on either side. But unlike the band, she was never going return back to normal. She was just going to keep expanding and it would never break. Never snap.

Trying to stop herself from fainting in lust, Rachel readjusted her position so she was stretching her spine, making it harder for her to collapse in a pile of the floor.

"Yeah...yeah. It's like Bi...anca?" Puck asked slowly but when Rachel's facial expression harden, he pretty much gathered that Bianca was not her name. "I mean Beth? Well I know it something beginning with B. Ooh is it Bey-"

"No it's not Beyoncé." Rachel stated before crossing her arms across her chest. "It's Rachel."

"Rachel." Puck repeated as he grew a little closer. "That was going to be my next guess."

The brunette giggled at Puck's lame attempt to recover the intelligence he seemed to have lost. "Oh really, because I could've sworn your next guess was Beyo-"

Rachel was silence by the jocks lips clumsily crashing down on hers.

They were rough yet gentle.

If that even made sense?

After getting over the initial shock, Rachel deepened the kiss as her hands fell from the crossed arm position they were in. Puck was kissing her! She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe that his hands were trailing down her body towards her hips. She was losing all sense of reality and time itself. It was magical. Sensational. There they both were, tongues entwined, battling for dominance. Puck's fingers soon found their way to the buttons on her coat, undoing them one by one before slipping his hands inside to rest of her hips again. Rachel was seriously emotionally unstable at that moment, her hands had to rest, more like cling, onto his face just to stop her from melting into a puddle on the floor. She was on a high that she had never experienced before. Well once when her fathers bought her Wicked tickets for her tenth birthday. Even thinking about it brought a smile to Rachel's mouth.

It was a spectacular play.

Wait why was she thinking about a Broadway musical when the most sexiest jock in McKinley was sucking face with her? If only kindergarten Rachel could see her now. Nothing could bring her down. No-

Puck was the first to draw back after breaking the kiss, leaving Rachel hanging for a split second, to stare down at her body. Or more like the clothes she was wearing. He may have been so out of it that he didn't know his right from his left, but even Puck knew what pajamas looked like when he saw them.

"Erm...you're kinda we-"

"You weren't supposed to see that." Rachel snapped as she rapidly buttoned her coat back up. Her head automatically faced the floor. She couldn't look at him after that. It was too embarrassing, the best thing for her to do was just run. Run as fast as she could in the opposite direction. Even if that wasn't where her house was. But being Rachel, she didn't. She stayed. Standing in the exact position she was when the clothing was revealed. Biting back all awkwardness and self loathing, Rachel gazed upwards to Puck who grinned for a brief moment before his right hand raised to the back of his neck where, seconds before, Rachel's hands we're hooked around after realizing his face wasn't going to keep her upright. The diva realized that Puck had gone red. Why was he red? It's not like he was just caught outside in his pajamas like a certain someone. When she was getting home she was burning them. But when she looked closer, the brunette noticed Puck's eyes were a deep brown, almost black, color. Why hadn't she noticed that before? She'd been staring at him since middle school. They were like two dark never ending pools that if Rachel jumped into one, she'd keep on falling. Never stopping or reaching the bottom.

Rachel opened her mouth to speak but just as a word began to form at her lips, the song Fallin' by Alicia Keys started to play in her head, over the deafening music that was coming from Azimio's house.

Weird.

"Yeah I erm...kinda figured." Puck stated as he gazed downward towards the pavement beneath them. The pavement that lead her to the house in the first place. The pavement that lead her to total and utter embarrassment. Curse that concrete.

She wanted to curl up in a dark corner and die.

Awkward seconds passed as neither said a word but just nervously laughed, waiting for the other to speak. When two minutes had passed without a word, Puck coughed to interrupt the tension before, breaking the no talking game the two unknowingly were playing. "I erm...I er...have to go back. They'll be wondering where I am." And with that, Puck left. Leaving an embarrassed, vulnerable Rachel Berry alone.

Playing the no talking game by herself.

It meant nothing to him.

That was what Rachel had concluded as she trudged back to her house. Covering herself properly so that the incident would not repeat itself, the diva made her way back to her street wishing she could rewind time as she muttered to herself. "What was I thinking? That the darkness and my coat would shroud me from anyone viewing the pajamas underneath?"

She so wanted to find that dark corner. And fast.

"And then he grinned. He actually grinned at me. Whether he thought it was cute or so hilarious that he had to go so quickly to tell all his jock friends that the Diva came to gate crash the party in her night wear, was another subject entirely." Rachel sighed in frustration. Why did she have to come out of her house? Now people have just one more thing to add on the ever long list of reasons why the school should hate her. Brilliant. What Rachel wanted to do was just go to her room and lock herself in, refusing to leave for all eternity.

Now there was a plan.

Kicking her shoes off after entering her house, Rachel stormed up her stairs, unbuttoning her coat along the way. To think, Noah Puckerman had touched the same buttons. He fumbled over her flower shaped silver buttons through passion, most likely through being drunk but Rachel preferred her theory better. The moment she entered her room, the coat, that did little to shield her clothes from the world outside, dropped down to her side as Rachel sat on her bed. Staring down at her cursed pajamas, the brunette sighed as she lifelessly fell backwards onto her bed. She couldn't think of anything more embarrassing. Anything more humiliating. Anything more...well anything else and she'd have to move to another country.

Suddenly the thought of moving house didn't seem to be such a bad idea after all. Granted it was only a few blocks away, but it was in the opposite direction of Azimio's and any other jock. Hopefully. Thank Goodness for her next-door neighbor.

What a great way to start the new academic year. The social pariah kissing not only a jock, but the jock with the sexiest smolder that made girls legs tremble with admiration with just a glance. All she had to do was get through one year. One year of pure and most definite humiliation that was sure to come her way. She may have not known what to do about the slow motion laughter that she would have to endure, but come Monday, Rachel was dodging any jock and Cheerio that had a slushie in their hand or not. Just one year.

Easy enough.

* * *

><p>"Dad I can carry a box." Rachel informed as she grabbed the last cardboard box labeled 'Rachel's Awards' and began to climb the stairs to her new temporary bedroom.<p>

Carefully placing the awards on her fluffy pink rug, Rachel slumped onto her bed which, despite what her fathers claimed, was definitely smaller than her old one. She stared at the white ceiling above her, pondering whether it would cave in and crush her. Right then. Wondering what the possibility of that would be. Pretty much next to nothing. Zero. Though, there was that slight chance. Like 0.0001 percent. Maybe even more zeros. Still she could be that, lets say, 0.0001 percent. There was a chance. A chance with everything...like Noah actually wanting a relationship with her. To date her. Ok so it was a minute possibility, but it was still there. Still that chance. But the chance of him laughing in her face as he slushies her personally in front of the whole school had a greater percentage. Of course she couldn't be crushed by the ceiling just yet, she had that school production of Snow White with a twist. Well it wasn't really a twist to Rachel. The two drama teachers thought it should have turned into a Broadway musical like Wicked but Rachel knew better. It lacked total imagination. It was funny how Rachel was portraying a young female who was quite literally kissed back to life by her true love, when growing up, she dreamt of nothing else but for her knight in shining armor to stroll into her life. Saving her, then she'd sit on the back of his horse as the two ride into the orange glow that is the sunset. Yeah right. The possibility of that happening was even smaller than her ceiling caving in on her. But a girl can dream. If she thought about her true love entering her life two days ago, Rachel would've smiled thinking about what he looked like as she waited for him to arrive. But not anymore. She was done with fairy tales. They all lied anyway. Living happily ever after was a lie. It doesn't happen. People don't live in castles with impregnable walls and give birth to a boy and girl. Lies. Weird what two days can do to a person. She just had that last performance. The performance that would never be true for her.

Then again that ceiling couldn't come down at a more perfect time.

"Rachel, honey? We have guests downstairs. Come meet them." Leroy called from the hall.

Removing the pillow that covered her face, Rachel grunted. If she had it her way, she wouldn't have no guests and she'd have a lock on her door so that she could just rot in her room in peace. But of course, she didn't have it her way. She couldn't just wish to skip the year ahead and just go to college in New York. Somewhere far, far away from Ohio and the local inhabitants.

Making her way down the stairs with her chestnut cascading down her left shoulder, Rachel stopped at the bottom step as she looked from her two fathers to the two newcomers that stood by the doorway.

"Rachel!" Leroy lit up as his eyes widened at the brunettes arrival. "These are our new neighbors." He gestured towards the two people that stood quietly where they were. "This is Carole and Finn Hudson."

The middle aged woman, with short brown hair that cut of just below her ears, stepped forwards with a broad smile set upon her face holding a dish of some sort. This of course, Rachel presumed it was Carole for obvious reasons, and the fact that she knew the tall awkward teenager by her left. "Hello. Rachel Berry is it?" The brunette nodded in confirmation as Carole continued. "Ah. Well I'm Carole and this is my son, Finn."

Oh Rachel knew who Finn was. She didn't need no introduction. She knew the quarterback. Well, she knew he was a quarterback, that he was a jock at her school. So she knew of him. Only, Finn didn't seem to notice who she was. He just stood there, staring at the wooden banister that Rachel rested her right hand on. Maybe he didn't know her. Or maybe he did. Maybe he already knew who she was, what she did the night before. He was friends with Azimio and Dave after all but more importantly, best friends with Noah Puckerman. Maybe she just missed his facial expression of recognition and that he just wanted to go as soon as possible. She wouldn't blame him. Finn repeated what his mother did and took a step forward to level with her before looking at Rachel's fathers. "Hello." He did his infamous half smile as he shook their hands in turn before turning his attention to Rachel herself. "Hi. I'm Finn."

"Rachel." The brunette nodded as the corners of his mouth flickered upwards a little more.

"Would you like to come through to the living room?" Hiram asked as he began to guide the two neighbors to a door on their right. "Please do excuse us on the mess. We've just moved in." He explained as he and the other three, with Rachel trailing behind, passed the door.

"Would anyone like a drink?" Rachel asked as the four gently sat down on the newly placed cream furniture. The only reason why she asked, apart from being the hostess in a way and decent manners, was because she couldn't bring herself to sit there and make small talk. Especially not with Finn. He was a jock and Rachel had made it her mission to avoid each and everyone of them. "Tea, coffee? Only...not coffee because we don't have any." The diva remembered.

"Water will be fine for me dear." Finn's mom sweetly smiled as she placed her black purse on her laps. Rachel looked from his mom to Finn himself who was already looking at her.

"I'll have water too." Finn replied without Rachel even asking the question. "Actually, I'll help you." The quarterback rose from his seat making his way towards the kitchen, only to be stopped in his tracks by Rachel.

"No it's quite alright. It's only two waters."

"Oh love." One of her fathers started as he spun his head around to see the brunette who was behind him. "Could you be a dear and make me and your father some tea?"

"And two teas." Finn added as he smirked before following the brunette out of the doors she had just left.

"Ok, so you get the glasses and mugs." Rachel instructed as they entered the kitchen. "Glasses are located in that cupboard." She pointed to one of the various cupboard doors that were on the opposite side of her. "And mugs are in the cupboard next to the first."

"Right." Finn nodded as he made his way towards the glasses, the first one Rachel pointed at, as the brunette poured water into the white kettle. "So glasses, check." Finn produced two random glasses out of the cupboard. One was a clear standard glass, while the other was more like a goblet with gold stars scattered across it and a rim to match. "Oh erm-"

"That's nothing." Rachel swiftly removed the glass from the jock's grip and gently placed it in another cupboard. Away from judging eyes. "Use another."

"Oh ok." Finn smiled as he grabbed a glass that matched the first and made his way back to the brunette. "Ok so here are the glasses." He stated as he looked at the diva who had the kettle in one hand and a raised brow expression. "What?" He asked as Rachel's face hadn't changed the slightest.

"Erm...Finn, the mugs?"

"Oh yeah!" The quarterback rushed back to the second cabinet. "Here they are."

"Thank you." Rachel sweetly smiled at the jock as she placed the kettle back in it's stand and went for the tea bags.

"So..." Finn started as he leaned on the counter beside the brunette. "What school are you going to?"

"McKinley."

"Oh I go there." The jock's eyes widened at Rachel's reply. "We should hang out sometime. You and me. Well er...not _just_ you and me. Not that there's anything wrong with you, it's...it's just that...erm there's kind of a gang of us. There's my girlfriend. Quinn. She's the head cheerleader. Hey I heard Coach Sylvester was having try outs for the start of the year. Everyone has been cut and then she'll choose who to pick, are you going to go? I mean, I t-I think you should." Finn gazed at Rachel's body from head to toe quickly which made the brunette self-conscious. "You'd get in."

"Well erm..."

"Sorry I'm rambling aren't I?" The awkward teenager asked as he straightened his back. "Sorry I er...I er kind of do that when I meet new people...or when I get nervous."

Nervous?

Rachel pondered Finn's statement as she poured the boiling water into the mugs. What did Finn Hudson, a leader, have to be nervous about? It couldn't be about meeting new people as they go school together. Actually come to think of it, they've been in the same school together since middle school plus, everyone's heard of Rachel. Well technically half didn't even know who she was and the other half that actually knew of her existence tormented her with slushies and vandalizing personal belongings, but still. His friends were part of the group of those who bullied her mercilessly. That and Noah. He had a group all to himself. Those who had kissed her. Population: one. Well Jacob Ben Israel kissed her in eighth grade but that didn't count. She made sure of that. But Finn had to know of her. He sat behind her in science in middle school where he kept making paper planes that, through no fault of his own or on purpose, flew straight into her hair. He'd always half heartedly apologize but of course Rachel knew just how much preteens really meant it.

So what did he have to be nervous about?

"I didn't even ask you where from America you moved from. I mean I guessed you came from somewhere else in this country because of your accent. So where did you come from?"

Scratch that. He wasn't rambling because he was nervous. He was doing it because he thought she was new. No wonder he didn't recognize her when he first saw her, he thought Rachel had recently moved to Ohio! She had to set him straight. It would be mean to allow him to humiliate himself as he kept talking about her being new. Stop him embarrassing himself like she did the night before.

"I came from a couple of blocks away."

"What?" Pure confusion was spread on Finn's face as Rachel placed two tea bags into the mugs. "Wh-what do you mean?" Rachel tried not to laugh at his face. It wasn't her fault. He had this puppy dog look about him that made him seem adorable and you could either laugh or hug him and Rachel was definitely not going to hug Finn Hudson. Quinn would kill her. Quite literally.

"Milk." The brunette randomly stated which made the jock frown even harder. She bit her bottom lip, using all her power not to laugh right there. Soon Finn understood the diva wanted the calcium based drink. "I didn't move from another state or anything. I've lived in Ohio all my life. Or so I've been told. See I don't know who my mother is and I'm speculating that I was actually born somewhe- why am I telling you that?" Rachel shook her head as Finn passed her the milk. "I erm...I've actually been going to the same school as you for years."

"Wait what?" She bit her lip even harder till it bled a little.

"See our house is currently being infested with insects, or so my fathers believe. Our next-door neighbor brought home the insects as pets and I warned him plenty of times but it seemed no one would listen and well...here we are. I suggested more humane treatments in getting rid of the unwanted house guests but it apparently got to a severity where fumigation was the only option left. So we packed our bags and we came here." Finn still looked as if someone had just hit him over the head with a thick book. He wasn't following. "My fathers bought this house to rent it out, preferably to other homosexual couples. The apparent invasion happened before the house went on the market else we'd be having a very different story being told."

"So, wait. This isn't your house?"

"No, this isn't our primary house. But it is under our name so essentially it is." Rachel explained as she removed the soaked tea bags.

"Just not the one you are living in."

"Precisely."

"Oh ok. So when are you going back?"

"Why have you already had enough of me?" The diva joked. Wait, she was sharing a joke with Finn Hu- no screw that. She was sharing a joke with someone popular! Wow, first a kiss now a joke. If Rachel isn't careful enough she may just end up _dating_ someone. Now there's a thought.

"No! No. It's just that...well my uncle is looking for a place to stay and it would be kind of cool to have him living next to me. He's a non smoker so erm...that's good and...well he's not in a gay or in a gay relationship bu-"

"Have him call my fathers and I'll put a good word in for him."

"Really? You would do that?" Finn's eyes widened once more as a smile threatened to erupt onto his face.

"Of course. He'll have to move in after us because no more than three can live under this roof at the same time."

"Great. Thank you." Finn grinned uncontrollably as he decided to fill the glasses with water. "So erm...how come I didn't know who you were?" He asked as he ran the tap.

"How long have you got?" Rachel joked as she spun around to face him. "Well I am surprised that you of all people do not recognize me seen as you friends are the reason why I fear coming into school. Surely they've used my name"

"Nope. I've never heard of Rachel Berry."

"Oh, hmm...maybe they don't use my name but perhaps they have a nickname for me. They've called me several in the past. Hmm...they include, the eight missing dwarf, munchkin, oh one time they went simple and called me Freak, Diva, S-"

"Wait Diva?"

"Yes. Actually that's my personal favorite because to call me that, they must have recognize my extremely abnormal skilled talent that I am so gratefully gifted with." Rachel beamed as Finn who looked slightly worried. "Why is that what they call me?"

"Erm...not exactly. They always talk about someone they call Smurf. It's just I once heard them saying about how the Smurf was such a diva over something. I don't know whether that is you though. It could be some other small seventeen year old at McKinley."

"Hmm there is a possibility. In what context did they mention such nickname?" The brunette asked as she reached for the sugar container.

"Huh?"

"What were they saying about the Smurf?"

"Oh erm...well they er..." Finn shuffled on the spot feeling more than uncomfortable telling Rachel the details of how his friends discussed a person who may or may not be the girl that stood in front of him. "They um...they were saying how the...er...Smurf said something that-well they kind of lectured Azimio about personal hygiene. It kinda got to him hard."

"Ahh yes. That was most definitely me but honestly how hard is it to put some deodorant on after practice?"

"He does. He has extra strong."

"Well evidently it's not working."

The corners of Finn's lips curved upwards as he leaned back on the counter. For some reason the paranoia over the fact that he was a jock melted away from Rachel. It didn't seem to be such a daunting matter.

"Well at least you're not like your other red letterman friends. They seem to be all brawn and no brain. But they still seem to make me feel two inches tall with their ritual of slushie facials."

Finn's face harden as Rachel mentioned one of many bullying tactics the popular have for those who are less fortunate with their social life than them. He looked almost hurt in a way. He sighed as he tossed his head back slightly.

"Urgh I hate those slushies not that anyone does anyway, except Dave and them guys. I just don't get why they feel the need to throw slushies. Saying mean things about them is one thing but throwing ice in their face? Why do they have to separate the popular from the not. The line that's separates them is a slushy! I mean it stains clothes, gets in people's eyes and not to mention the feeling as it drips slowly into your pants."

"Yeah it isn't the most pleasant experience a person can have."

"Aren't we humans before labels? I just don't see why we have to do it and why no one will stop them. I've tried but surely principle Figgins should be doing something! He knows about it. Azimio slushied him once when they hid around the corner thinking he was...well the Smurf meaning you."

"Oh lovely." Rachel sarcastically replied before pausing and gazing at the jock, that practically loomed over her, in admiration.

"What?" Finn asked as he noticed the brunette's lips were sealed and she kept staring at him intently.

"Oh nothing. It's just so weird to hear someone so compassionate about people who are so low down the social ladder, I'm not even sure if they're on there. Especially coming from a quarterback. You hear the other jocks talk about football, girls and their next slushie target. Never something they seem to care so deeply about. Not on things that actually matter. You're supposed to talk about how Quinn won't put out or how the line backer in the last football game cheated and that's how you lost. Just not something so..."

"Hey, that line backer did cheat. That's a fact. But I can be deep. I'm not as shallow as you may think. I don't even talk about how Quinn doesn't put out because, and don't tell the other guys this, not everything is about sex. I mean yeah sometimes it gets frustrating thinking about the mailman when we're making out bu-"

"Woah, hey. I don't want to know about you have to think about to keep yourself under control." Rachel informed as she tried pushing the last nugget of information she learnt about Finn out of her head permanently.

"Oh yeah. Sorry. Told you, I ramble a lot."

"But you know I'm not new to Ohio." Rachel told him as his cheeks went a shade pinker. An awkward moment passed between the two with neither speaking but just trying to avoid any eye contact at all. "Oh and erm...you don't have to worry." Rachel started as she broke the silence that drifted. "About me telling any of your friends, I don't really ever speak to them."

Nope. Just kisses them.

"Oh right. Well erm I guess we better get these in." Finn suggested as he raised the two glasses of water he was still holding.

"Oh right yes erm..." Rachel looked down to see herself still stirring absent mindlessly. "Yes let's...let's do that." She agreed as the brunette threw the teaspoon into the sink and followed the quarterback. Only he slowed down dramatically in his speed and if Rachel had been any closer, piping hot tea would be all over her black owl sweater and her red plaid skirt.

"Oh and hey now that I know who you are, I can look out for you at school, hey Rach?" Finn grinned but the brunette was unable to see this facial expression as he was facing forwards.

He didn't see her smile either.

Rach. That was what he called her. It probably had to be the first nice nickname she ever got from someone. Her fathers always gave her cute ones but she didn't think 'Pookie' or 'R-bear' really counted. This was her first nickname she got from someone who didn't hate her or was her legal guardian. An electric pulse shot down her spine for the first time. It was weird yet surprisingly...well nice.

* * *

><p>"So thank you for such a lovely time and it was nice meeting you." Carole stated as she and Finn stood just by the front door. "And sorry for thinking that you moved from another state when in reality, it was just a few blocks away."<p>

"Oh no, it's always nice to meet new people." Hiram informed as he and Leroy laughed with Carole. Rachel on the other hand smiled at the quarterback that she was hesitant about in the first place.

"Bye." Finn waved to the two males after they stopped their chuckling. "It was nice of you to have us over."

"Oh it was our pleasure entirely. You can come anytime you like. Just ring the bell." Leroy pointed to the button on the left of him before the two guests began to walk up the drive.

"And same goes to you." Carole added before disappearing around the corner with her son by her side.

"Ah, they're such nice people." Hiram told the other two before walking back into their house with his husband.

"Yeah. Nice." Rachel muttered as she followed her fathers.

"And I can't believe I didn't even know they moved from a few streets away. Did you know that Rachel went to your school?" Carole asked.

"No." Finn looked behind to the house he left which was mainly covered by the trees now but he could still make out the plain white knee length cotton socks that moved back inside the household. "I didn't know."

* * *

><p>"Ah welcome back miss Rachel Berry to hell on earth, or as it is formally known, McKinley high school." Kurt joked as Rachel unwillingly marched into school with her head down low so she wouldn't be spotted by any jock or Cheerio.<p>

"Shh Kurt." Rachel started as she approached him a Mercedes at a fast speed. "Not so loud."

"Ok fine." Kurt raised one brow to the brunette. "But you've gotta tell us why you have this Serpico thing going on."

Rachel sighed but agreed to his terms. Checking over her shoulder to make sure no popular students were lurking near by, the brunette lifted the hood of her jumper off. "If I tell you, you guys have to keep it a secret. I'm pretty sure all the jocks and cheerleaders already know but I don't want you guys spreading it any further. Though, everyone will eventually find out if Santana is involved with it. Tho-"

"Just get on with it." Mercedes demanded as one hand fell to her hip in impatience.

"Ok fine. Remember how you said that I shouldn't make a big deal out of anything Noah does because he doesn't even know who I am, which turned out to be true, and how the likelihood of him directing any kind of attention towards me was zero?"

"Rachel seriously is there even a plot behind this story because it seems like you're just repeating everything we've already said to you in the past?"

"Wait it gets better. So anyway I erm...I kinda saw him at Azimio's annual End-Of-Summer party-"

"Wait you didn't get spotted did you? Is this what this is about? Puckerman saw you there so now he's telling everyone. Oh God, Rachel I don't want you to be killed."

"What, you believe that?" Mercedes asked as she looked at the male in disgust. "Emily didn't get murdered. She emigrated to England under the name Rebecca. Everyone knows that."

"Pfft. Please Mercedes. Who is actually gullible to believe that?"

"Oh right yeah but her being murdered seems like a perfect explanation to what happened to he-"

"Guys!" Rachel interrupted as she raised her voice slightly, enough to be heard by the two but not loud enough so everyone in the corridor could hear. "The focus is supposed to be on me right now. Not Emily, who by the way totally works in that deli." Before Mercedes or Kurt could interrupt and protest against her hypothesis, Rachel continued with what she was saying before. "Anyway...like I said I saw Noah there but it wasn't an Emily situation. He was heavily under the influence of alcohol when he staggered towards me. He tried to guess my name thinking it began with B, he thought my name was Beyoncé at one stage, and when I corrected him, he...erm well, he er...kissed me."

They didn't need to know about the pink pajamas part of the story.

Two minutes had passed yet Mercedes and Kurt remained in their positions. Their wide eyed, mouth slightly ajar, facial expression worried Rachel. She half expected the two, without any hint on their face, to burst out laughing right in front of her, telling Rachel how she really got them that time. How for a minute there, they truly believed that it really happened. But they didn't. They just continued with their staring. Only when Rachel waved her hand in front of Kurt, did he and Mercedes finally snap out of the trance the brunette seemed to have put them under.

"He kissed you?"

"Yes." Rachel answered as she nearly smiled in the process, because of how they were taking in the information, not because of Noah. Obviously.

"You?" Mercedes asked as her eyes returned back to normal, but her mouth was still unable to close from shock. "As in Rachel Berry you?"

"Yes! Noah kissed me. It was sweet at first. Very soft. But then things got intimate quite quickly. He soon had his mouth locked with mine in a tight embrace as h-"

"Ok I think we get the picture." Kurt interrupted look more than mortified instead of shocked. "So he was drunk?" Kurt asked as he opened his locker like no juicy gossip just landed on his lap after removing the mental picture of Rachel and Puckerman sucking face.

"Erma...yeah." Rachel confirmed slowly, taken a little back from Kurt's nonchalant actions. "Yes he was under the influence of alcohol but he sty-"

"Then you can't expect him to be truthful. I mean he wasn't in the right state of mind, if he was as drunk as you described then he probably wasn't even sure what he was saying."

"But it was magical. Surely you feel that?" Rachel argued as Kurt closed his locker door and faced the brunette before sighing deeply.

"Rachel, he didn't even know who you were! How can you expect him to feel anything magical?"

"I err..." For the first time, Rachel was silenced by Kurt's logic.

He was right.

How could she think that he felt what she did? Wait, why was she thinking about this? She had made up her mind already, it meant nothing to him but everything to her. When you're drunk you may do or say things you would never do than when you're sober, but she was pretty sure that this was not one of those occasions. She had to stop dreaming about love at first sight and how, even though he didn't really talk after, Noah could feel the same electricity she experienced when they shared a kiss. Who was she kidding? Rachel was never going to be one of those girls that everything comes to so easily. Unless it was academic wise. She was never going to be like Quinn or Santana. She was never going to be one of those pretty girl who have guys fighting each other just for her to look at him, yet alone do anything else.

She was Rachel Berry. Freak.

"Yeah I know." The brunette sighed in defeat, very much like she did in Kurt's room two days ago. "I just...I know that I'm never going to be the kind of girl he likes."

"Sorry Rachel, there's no point even asking what it meant to him be-"

"Wait." Mercedes interrupted after putting away her mirror back into her bag. "If someone liked someone else the same way Rachel likes Noah, the surely for piece of mind, they should see just what the kiss meant. I mean it may not mean anything but there's a chance that it was intentional, no matter how intoxicated he was."

"Really?" Rachel asked as her eyes widened and her hopes lifted. "I've ne-"

"Wait I wasn't done. Yes that person should go and talk to the other but this particular situations may not be one of them. Just thinking about it now makes me realize that maybe avoiding him may be the best thing you could possibly do."

"But how do you know whether he felt the same if he..." Rachel's sentence trailed off into the air around them as she spotted a certain jock and his friends fast approaching. "Hide me!" The diva ducked towards the floor, making sure she was covered by the two, as Noah and his friends strolled past.

"Wow.", was all Mercedes was able to manage as Rachel regained her original height before the sighting of the jock.

"I know. That was so close."

"Rachel didn't you see that?" Kurt asked as he raised his voice slightly which worried the brunette because the very student she tried dodging may or may not have heard him. "He didn't seem to be looking very hard for you. That just goes to prove that he isn't bothered about it. He's gone back to normal jerk mode. Strolling the corridors thinking he has swag."

"Yeah Kurt is right. He looked like your normal jackass. Sorry Rachel." Mercedes added as one hand found it's way to the brunette's arm, rubbing it gently.

"Yes, Kurt is correct." Rachel stated as she stared in the direction Noah Puckerman went. She had to stop deluding herself, Kurt simply told her something she knew all along. She knew he would return to normal as if nothing happened.

She just didn't want to believe it.

"Right well ladies." Kurt began as he clapped his hands loudly, grabbing the two female's attention. "While I would love to stand here idly by while many whiz passed us, I have to get to my next class."

"Yeah same." Mercedes grunted. "I have English but at least I have Mrs. Loasby."

"You have Mrs. Loasby?" Kurt replied with a hint of shock and jealously mixed in. "Oh my gosh. She's like the best teacher you could possibly have. Granted she's no Holly Holiday, but still! Oh has she recited the scene from Romeo and Juliet where she confronts her father about marrying Paris?"

"Yep and she totally dresses up as well. She even got principle Figgins involved!"

"Oh I heard about that. Apparently he was just wanting to speak to Puck but then got dragged into the reenactment."

"Yeah."

"Wow. Mrs. Loasby. Oh I'd love to have her. I just have Mr. Holloway."

"Mr. Holloway?" Mercedes asked as she raised one brow.

"Yep."

"As in Mr. Holloway the homophobic?" Rachel joined as she shared the same facial expression as the other diva.

"That's the one. I mean I am grateful for finally moving up to the top set after a year of pestering and my father threatening to sue, it's just he isn't exactly the kind of teacher I was imagining to have. Last year, he subbed one of my maths classes and when I got an equation wrong, he added one minute to the time I had to stay and clear up after school hours. Can you believe that?"

"Wow. Well hopefully it will get better now that he's your actual teacher." Rachel predicted as she shrugged.

"Oh yeah? And how do you figure that? He gave Azimio a slushie to throw in my face, even though I can't prove it, I just know it was him. It sounds like the level he would stoop low to."

"Well think of it as a challenge. This is your perfect opportunity for you to change his attitude towards homosexuals for not only you but future generations. Change what he thinks."

"I fear that's exactly what he's trying to do to me!"

"Ok look, guys as much I would love to listen to a bitching session on a teacher, I have to get to class. Mrs. Loasby may be awesome, but even she hates tardiness. See ya." And with that, Mercedes left the two and walked off to the left, where Noah had come from minutes before.

"Yeah. I have to go too. You're so lucky you have a free period now while I have two hours of Mr. Homophobe. Can't wait for the homophobic comments to start. Yay." Kurt sarcastically cheered before spinning on his heels and trudging in the same direction as Mercedes.

Rachel on the other hand had one full hour to herself. Of course, that didn't mean she wasn't going to do anything. Nope. She wasn't going to wake up later as it would disrupt the already complicated morning routine she has for herself. The brunette headed towards the library. Just her and the thousand books that surrounded her. That was her ideal place of a tranquil secluded place to be.

Making her way to her second home, Rachel heard a whisper of some sort. But when she turned around, she faced no one. There wasn't a student...a human in sight. Just an empty corridor. It must have been the wind battering against the windows, it was an old school after all. Looking from class to class, Rachel saw through the window of the door the rooms full with students throwing airplanes and flinging pieces of paper in any direction. Thankfully, Rachel was heading towards a place which was unknown by so many. Making it the perfect place to be. But when the brunette heard the whisper again, the joyous feeling of complete silence faded. This time she was sure it wasn't the wind from outside. It was definitely a person. So when the diva felt the right sleeve of her thick pink sweater being pulled, Rachel had her mouth open but words had failed her as she was dragged into a janitors closet.

"Who's there?" The brunette called into the darkness. "I have a rape whistle and mace in my purse." She warned as she grabbed her bag tightly. Her grip loosened as the person pulled on the white string that dangled to the left side of his face, the light illuminated the persons face to reveal a grinning Noah Puckerman standing before her.

"I guess you don't need that mace." He half laughed as he took one step closer towards the brunette.

"I'll be the judge of that." Rachel muttered as she squeezed a little harder on the spray. The light showed Noah's smile drop slightly at her words. It wasn't a strong bulb, on it was on it's last leg really, so it didn't illuminate the whole room. Just enough to see Noah but not behind him. It almost created a sense of mystery in a way. "What do you want?" She harshly asked taking the remains of his smile from Puck's face at the same time. "If you want my lunch money then I'm afraid you're out of luck. I bring sandwiches and I hardly believe they are your type of food."

"What? No. I don't want your money or your food." He told her as he stopped in front of her. "I don't want anything from you. I just want to talk to you."

"About what exactly?"

"Azimio's party."

Her heart soared. Higher than it had ever been before. He was going to say how it did mean everything and that he loves her. Ok maybe not that far. Kurt was wrong, he did want to talk about it. He did want to tell her-wait. He could also be trying to clear any strings that may be attached, which there definitely was for the brunette. They were attached hard. With reinforcements.

"What about Azimio's party did you want to discuss?" It was an obvious question but she just needed to hear him say it. Hear the words that would make her heart plummet back to normal, if not beat slower.

"Well erm..." Puck shuffled slightly on the spot, gazing down at floor. "I er...wanted to well um...I wanted to talk about when I...y'know." He couldn't even say kissed. He couldn't even bring himself to say the word. He definitely was declaring his undying love anytime soon. "I erm..." Here it's comes. The 'can we keep it on the down low because it was just a mistake and nothing else?' Why did she still build herself up expecting to be knocked down?

"I know. It was a drunken mistake. You never had any intention of doing it and we should probably keep a distance so there is no occurrence of the event. I understand." Rachel half smiled reassuring the jock she was ok when inside she was heartbroken. She quickly spun around and reached for the door handle to be released from the room. Only just as she made contact with the brass doorknob, something warm and soft touched her arm. She looked at her right arm to see a hand resting on it. But it wasn't any hand. It was Noah Puckerman's.

"Rachel don't!" The brunette turned around to face him as his gaze had moved and was now set on her face. "Don't go."

"Why? I already know what you want to say, there's no point you just repeating what I said. I don't need to be reminded. Believe me, I will not forget."

A long pause fell upon the two, they just continued to lock eyes with each other, which made the brunette far than comfortable. His heavy gaze was unnerving. He just stood there. That was before he sighed as looked behind the diva towards the door. She didn't need to be asked, Rachel knew just what he wanted her to do. Leave. Heading back, the brunette was stopped again by Noah.

"It wasn't a mistake." He stated as Rachel slowly returned back to her original position, facing the jock. "It wasn't a mist-"

"Yes I heard you the first time."

"Well I er...I tried thinking that it was just a stupid thing you do when you're drunk but I couldn't. It's just when I heard you laugh, it reminded me about kindergarten when you chuckled over me putting lego blocks down some kid's pants. Do you remember?"

"Freddy Johnson's p-I mean erm...yes, yes I do recall that day. It's a hazy memory in my life really. Barely remember it actually." Rachel lied.

"Right so erm...well I...it just made me think about it but you're right. About me not intentionally wanting to do it." Here we go. "Because I didn't mean to do it then but that doesn't mean that I never did. I've wanted to do that since middle school really. Ha, isn't that sad?" Puck laughed.

Sad. That exactly how Rachel felt.

"I just, you deserve more than just a drunk kiss which is why I didn't want to do it. You deserve more than just...well yeah."

"Oh I see what this is." Rachel started. "I see what this whole thing is." She moved her hands in a circular motion between the two. "This is the annual joke you and your football team make. Well I have to say that as much as I am honored to be even considered to star in this charade with the humiliating role, I think I'll pass on carry on anymore. Well done though, you nearly had me."

Rachel looked up at the jock who had Finn's dumbfounded look upon his face. "Are you alright Rachel?" He asked the brunette who beamed at the student in front of her.

"I'm exceedingly fine. I'm fantastic. Jubilant even." Rachel replied forcing a smile to cover the heart broken facial expression behind it.

"Are you sure because you're kinda blinking a lot and it's kinda scary?"

"I'm fine Noah. Now you and your Neanderthal friends can come out now. Dave, Azimio and the rest of the football team can emerge from he darkness surrounding us." Rachel looked away from the jock in front of her to the emptiness behind him. "You can come out now." She called as Puck looked at the brunette quizzically. "I know that this is the prank. Very good I must say considering you all have a collective brain cell count of one. Oh David, I don't know why you took it in the first place, but I would like my pink fluffy pen back as it is the only pen I own that has pink ink."

Puck looked at Rachel whose gaze returned back to normal. She tried smiling again but it didn't surface, just a plain expression instead. Plus the blinking.

"Rachel I have no idea what you're on about. Why would the football team be lurking in a janitors closet and what fluffy pink pen? Seriously Rachel, are you sure you're ok? I think you're a bit delirious."

"No I'm fine. I'm talking about the joke you and your team mates pull at the start of every year on some poor defenseless victim to show everyone that the football team is here and they yet again, have reign on this school for another year."

"Are you talking about the Jock Gag?" Puck asked as he raised his brow in confusion. As Rachel nodded in confirmation, muttering something like, "Yes the 'gag' as you so call it.", Puck continued. "Rachel, this isn't a joke if that's what you're worried about. You're not the gag, which by the way is Jacob Ben Israel this year. Do you think I'd let them humiliate you like that?"

Rachel pondered his question. It didn't seem like him to make her look like a complete and utter fool...but then it wasn't like Noah to kiss her at the party.

"But I-"

"Rachel I wouldn't." Noah's hands dug straight into his pockets as his voice softened. It was a vulnerable side that Rachel had never seen before. She knew he was caring and understanding but he also hid behind this macho unemotional fence that he built himself. Though he wasn't any different from Rachel herself. "Believe me."

Believe me.

She so badly wanted to do that. Trust him. Believe every word that came out of his lustrous lips. She wanted to yet she couldn't. She wouldn't. She wouldn't allow herself to believe in another, especially a jock. Trusting someone meant letting them in and that was not an option for one Rachel Berry. She was so used to keeping a guard around her heart to avoid heartbreak that she ended up pushing those away. It was the ultimate protection. But was that what Rachel wanted? Maybe it was time for the guard to come down. For the steel cage that had barbed wire entwined, to be cut. Her heart to be released. To fly. Maybe it was time for her to take a risk. To believe in someone other than her fathers. But believe in Noah? Of all people?

"And why would I do that?" Rachel asked as she mentally shook her head from her inner thoughts.

The guard was staying up just for a little longer.

Noah sighed deeply as Rachel gazed at the broom beside him. For some reason, the diva seemed to be strangely drawn to the cleaning equipment. The decrepit and old broom that has probably been in the school longer than Rachel has been on the planet. It almost sent her in a trance but Noah snapped her out just in time.

"Because..." Rachel jerked her head towards the jock who seemed to be fighting himself to finish off his sentence. He bit his lip in desperation which would have sent Rachel over the edge if she hadn't been so confused about the broom. "Look how can I prove to you-"

"You don't need to prove anything. I'm not going to change my mind. I'm not being stubborn, I just know that I'm right and why should I be persuaded otherwise just to be proven wrong. You can't make me believe in-"

Puck silenced the babbling brunette with his lips on hers.

It was only for a brief second yet it felt more like an eternity for Rachel. She melted into his body as soon as he came in contact with her. In that moment Rachel her anger, her insecurities...everything just vanish. Disappear into nothing. Thin air. Funny what can happen in a second.

Noah opened his eyes after drawing back. He opened his eyes to see the sight of a brunette who looked unstable but peaceful. As Puck withdrew his lips from her own, Rachel felt as if he hadn't just taken his lips away from her but like he had stolen the key to the cage that surrounded her heart. He now controlled it and it seemed that he was going to unlock the guard and capture her beating organ. Not that she minded now because he had done it. Something Rachel never thought he would do.

"I...er...yo-you erm...you er...certainly changed the idea that was erm...set in my h...head." The diva spluttered as she tried to find the words she had somehow lost.

"Wow, I changed your mind and made you speechless at the same time. That's pretty impressive." Puck stated as he nodded his head in achievement.

"Yes well erm...not many can do that actually. You see er...peo-people have tried to make me change my mind or make me speechless which er isn't really an easy task as it involves trying to find something that would shock me and as I am very resistant to many things, making me speechless may seem an impossib..."

"Clearly it wasn't long enough."

"Oh." Rachel blushed as Noah moved forward slightly. His eyes set upon hers, the diva could tell there was an aching inside of him for the answer. The answer of whether Rachel could believe in him. Whether a rising star could believe in a jock.

"So erm..." Noah rubbed the back of his neck in awkwardness before continuing. "Rachel I er...I want to-"

"Well I'm sure what you are going to say, I want the same. We should go and show our new found relationship to the school, to Azimio, David, Finn and all of those on the football team, not to mention the Cheerios. Oh also we-"

"Rachel. I can't."

The diva abruptly stopped her continuous rambling as she looked at the jock. "Y-you w-w-what?"

"Rachel I want to...I just can't."

"W-what do yo-you mean?"

"I mean that...look Rachel I-I want to, I really do, but I can't be in a relationship right now. It's all too soon and I...I just can't be in one now."

"Oh." Her heart plummeted. "So what does this mean for u-"

"I don't know. I want to be with you...it's just I..."

"So what you're saying is, is that you want to be with me but you can't let yourself be in a relationship now for some unknown reason." Noah nodded in agreement as Rachel sighed. "So what will happen to us? Do you just want to go back to normal? You being the jock everyone loves and me be the talented girl everyone hates?"

"No, I don't want to go back to the way we were before."

"Neither do I Noah!" Rachel started as she sighed in frustration. "But you don't seem to want to go forwards so what am I supposed to do?"

"Why don't we stay where we are? Right now, in this moment. Here."

"In a janitors closet? Noah look I don't know about you but I've actually planned my life in advance and I have to tell you that staying in a rotten cupboard, living off carpet cleaner was not part of i-"

"What no. I don't mean here. I mean now. Not people who don't know each other but not boyfriend and girlfriend."

"You mean being hidden, like we are now?"

"Er...well yeah. We can be together but not have labels or the duties of being a boyfriend or girlfriend."

"But no one would know of us then!"

"Yeah...I ju..."

What was she doing?

That was the thought running through her head as Noah continued to defend his idea. What was she doing though? This was Noah Puckerman. The hottest most sexiest guy at McKinley. He was on the football team for goodness sake! Why was she dismissing his idea of being an item? Even if it was in secret. He wanted to be with her! Not many people ever get this rare opportunity so why was she saying no?

It's not like she could really blame him anyway. She wasn't exactly Santana Lopez. She didn't have JLo curves or golden sun kissed skin. She wasn't a Cheerio, she didn't wear the short uniform that highlighted her breast, legs and ass in an obvious way. She wasn't something to be shown off. To boast about, unless it was who they just slushied violently. Maybe hiding their relationship was the best thing to do. It was the best for Noah for obvious reasons but maybe it was good for Rachel too. If she thought about it, if she and Noah were to go public and announce their sudden pairing, people wouldn't be welcoming her to the world of popularity with opening arms. They'd try and stop her from entering. They'd come after her with torches and pitchforks like she was Frankenstein's monster.

So maybe Noah's idea was ideal for their particular situation.

"Ok." Rachel stated, interrupting the jock who was still trying to explain why they should keep them under wraps.

"...and I ju-what?"

"I said ok. Keeping whatever this is." Rachel swung her right arm in the space between the two. "A secret is fine by me. It benefits both of us form torment and humiliation, well further humiliation for me."

"Seriously?" Puck's eyes broadened as Rachel smiled.

"Yes."

"So we're doing this. You and me?"

"You and me." Rachel repeated in confirmation as the jock in front of her grinned like a child in a candy shop.

It may have not been what she expected but Rachel did learn something in that free period.

* * *

><p><strong>R-r-review:)<strong>


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